{ "item_title" : "The Second Course", "item_author" : [" Fathi "], "item_description" : "Home is a table you set for other people.Mara Vale is a chef who has lost the one thing a cook cannot buy, borrow, or fake: the ability to feel what she creates. Once celebrated in a high-end city kitchen, she is hollowed out by burnout. She arrives in the storm-worn fishing town of Tallowmere with a single plan: bury the estranged aunt she never truly knew, sell the crumbling cliffside tavern she inherited, and leave.But the Gull & Ember is not just an empty building. It holds the Ember-a living, magical hearth that has burned for two hundred years. The Ember carries the emotion of a true, sincerely cooked meal into whoever eats it. And right now, it is dying.To rekindle the hearth, Mara must cook one perfect homecoming feast at the Harvest Tide festival for a town that has forgotten how to gather. But she cannot fake it. The magic requires absolute authenticity, demanding that Mara trade the perfection that protected her for the presence that heals her.With the help of a harbor master who refuses to let the town be sold, a housekeeper who guards a box of secrets, an eager apprentice, and an orange one-eared cat who only appears when the fire is happy, Mara must remember how to cook from the heart. Standing in her way is a patient, wealthy buyer offering to take the burden off her hands if she'll just sign the deed and walk away.The Second Course is a warm, gently funny standalone cozy fantasy about grief, found family, and the courage to be seen while imperfect. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The House in the Cerulean Sea.What to Expect: Cozy Culinary Magic: A unique magic system where food carries genuine emotion and comfort, and every potent dish costs the cook.Found Family: A beautiful, bittersweet cast of characters rebuilding a fractured community one meal at a time.Low Stakes, High Emotion: No graphic violence, no world-ending wars, and no on-page explicit content. Just a sweet slow-burn romance and a deeply healing journey.Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: Is this part of a series or a standalone novel?A: The Second Course is a complete, satisfying standalone novel that resolves fully without leaving you on a cliffhanger.Q: Does the magic system involve combat or action?A: No. The magic in this book is purely domestic and emotional. The Ember responds to sincerity, hospitality, and connection, meaning the story's conflicts are solved by character growth and a perfectly cooked meal rather than violence.Q: Is there romance in the book?A: Yes! There is a sweet, slow-burn romantic subplot that supports the main story of healing and found family. The romance is strictly closed-door with no explicit content.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers3.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/79/816/474/9798164749262_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "14.99", "online_price" : "14.99", "our_price" : "14.99", "club_price" : "14.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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